Beyond The Barricade Is A World To See
by Lestrangeness
Summary: One shot  Eponine is hiding amongst the barricade wondering how to confess her feelings to Marius, but as Enjolras patrols he notices her and they share their last few moments alive together.


The air was rich with anxiety, smoke and gun powder. Ordinary men held trinkets and lockets containing picture's of loved ones to their chest, superstitious men clutched horseshoe's and four leafed clovers whilst ambitious men fingered guns with a look of determination crossed with fear on their faces. These men stacked barrels and lumber to provide the foundations to the protective barricade which they all hid behind, even the ambitious. However, the sky was clear and the stars looked down upon Paris that night which gave the men hope.

One of the ambitious men, Enjolras, wore a daring colour for such a clear night: his crimson jacket caught the lamplights intensive stare but he was not faltered. His mind was occupied on the battle ahead rather than his wardrobe as he gave each of the men sat behind a barrel of gun powder an encouraging nod. The barricade was not merry, but nor was it silent which Enjolras found to be a good sign; the men weren't arrogant of their survival, but nor were they adamant of it.

He walked along the barricade studying its weaknesses; each footstep he took made a quiet rap against an oak floor board and the rifle in his hand crashed against his thigh reminding him gently of the task before him but more obviously, of the rifle's empty vessels. Enjolras walked towards a stack of gun powder barrels that stood along the far side of the barricade, no men sat here but his friend Marius was composed opposite swirling a mug of ale, they exchanged a silent greeting before Enjolras bent towards the barrels.

He was startled by a wide but beautiful set of dark eyes staring up at him, the face they belonged to was covered with a mix of dirt and shade, their eye's connected and the face moved into the light to reveal small feminine features. The girl was very dirty and bruised; she wore a hat hung over her long dark locks that fell in ringlets below her shoulders (which were also dirty) and ragged clothes. She didn't look frightened at Enjolras finding her hiding spot she just kept staring straight up at the scarlet waistcoat in front of her.

"You shouldn't be here" He hissed to her "this is no place for a woman."  
>"War is no place for anyone" She replied simply, not faltering her stare from his face.<br>"Then you do not understand the reason. Men here are fighting for a better life, a better France for you and your family so you may continue to live in peace"  
>"Rather than fighting for peace, why not have peace in the first place? Men are simply here because they will be frowned upon if they are not"<br>Enjolras was enraged by her accusation "You cannot comment unless you are in the situation, which if you stay sat here you just may be!"  
>"I am here out of choice but I also cannot leave" She says looking ahead of her "will you not join me?"<br>"I have more important things to do!"  
>"These moments may be your last monsieur, let them be kind words from a woman rather than harsh ones from a man"<p>

Enjolras was impressed with this woman's intelligence; he wondered how a woman of her class and physical appearance could learn such common sense. He had no reason to refuse her for her reasoning was as good as any, and he certainly knew which words he would rather hear from which gender so he leant his rifle against a barrel and joined her side resting an elbow on one of his legs.

"What is your cause for being here?" He asked turning a head towards her.  
>"I came here to reveal something to someone with no agenda, I'm halfway to that but saying it has struck me a coward behind these here barrels"<br>"A man?"  
>"Yes" she looks ahead of her again at Marius who is still stood opposite the barrels, his back to them. Enjolras catches her gaze to the young man and recoils as he opens his mouth to speak.<br>"It would grieve you to know he is betrothed"  
>"I do know" She says looking at Enjolras "it is his recent betrothal which has driven me to reveal my true feelings"<br>"But he is already troubled enough, telling him this would only deepen his troubles and possibly cause him to lose faith in the battle at hand which could end in a way that neither of us would desire" Enjolras' words were true but harsh and the woman's dark eyes grew sad.  
>"You are right" she says solemnly. "Have you no lady to say farewell to?"<br>"No lady. Unlike Marius I knew a war was coming our way and chose not to evoke upon an emotional attachment"  
>"You are wise monsieur, a lady to part with a will as strong as yours would be such sorrow indeed"<br>Enjolras smiled "and a man to not notice a face as fair as yours is a pity." The woman smiled and behind her soot ridden cheeks was a crimson to rival his jacket.  
>"My face is dirty monsieur"<br>"But your eye's are not"  
>"You are too kind sir, never have I been called fair by a gentleman before"<br>"I disregard any status either of us may entitle at this moment for it may be our last and what use would kind words be then?" Enjolras reached behind him and pulled out a dark red glass bottle and offered it to the woman "here."  
>She took the bottle and drunk merrily, swaying slightly as she finished the large gulp and he chuckled at her. "You drink like a sailor" he stated.<br>"You drink not" She returns the smile.  
>"I fear to drink too much" Enjolras stared at his open palms in his lap "it may be the death of me"<br>"If I do not drink it may be the death of me. Being at home sober may just ruin me"  
>"You have had a hard life"<br>"Yes" The woman looks down at her torn dull skirts and toys with a loose thread "but there is a better one waiting for me"  
>"That is sad indeed, have you no family?" Enjolras found himself taking pity on the girl and stared at her beautiful features with want of making her smile again.<br>"I do not like my family" She replied simply "but what about you, have you no loved ones?"  
>"My life has been dedicated to this moment, my little life does not compare to the hundreds of men here with families"<br>"That too is sad monsieur"

Enjolras has never thought that his life had been particularly sad, but since the woman had said it he began to contemplate the possibility of his unfulfilled life. He had everything that this woman had not, but she had everything that he had not.

"How have I never seen your face before?" Enjolras asked  
>"I tend to be just a shadow in Marius' steps" She replied looking up at him "however I have noticed you around the ABC Cafe before"<br>"I wish we would have been introduced sooner mademoiselle" Enjolras said smiling which the woman gracefully returned showing her off-white grin.  
>"Me too" she said, taking his fingers into the palm of her hand. The moment was then silent between the two as they stared at each other, neither knowing what to do or say but both wished for more time or for fate to change. The two gazes grew more serious as the space between the two got smaller, heat radiated from both bodies and breath could be felt on both faces, they were so close to one another but fate intervened.<p>

"_You at the barricade listen to this_!" The sharp voice pulled Enjolras apart from the woman and his head shot up to look over the barricade, the time had come for fighting. He looked down at the woman's worried expression and picked up his rifle.

"Forgive me; I do not know your name?" He said quietly.  
>"Eponine"<br>"I hope we meet soon Eponine" Enjolras called as he disappeared further along the barricade into the rich mist of gun powder and sorrow.

"I hope so"


End file.
